Alan Dunne wants Tonbridge players to use their FA Cup disappointment to fuel a successful league campaign.
National League South Angels missed out on a place in the first round after losing 3-1 at home to Chatham on Saturday.
Marcus Sablier put Dunne’s side in front but they couldn’t find a second goal and paid the price as Isthmian Premier Chats turned the match on its head.
For new boss Dunne, it was a first defeat after three wins and a draw in his opening four matches in all competitions.
It was also the club’s first defeat in nine games, stretching back to Craig Nelson’s time in charge.
The league is the focus for Dunne, however.
He said: “I want the boys to realise that the FA Cup, as much as it’s great, it’s secondary to what we’re about this year.
“We’re ninth (15th) in the league, there’s a real opportunity this year to do something special.
“The FA Cup’s great, good luck to Chatham, but I think this year what we want to do is focus now on trying to finish as high as we can in the league.”
Dunne added: “They’re a young group and they’re talented boys. These are big days for them.
“They’ll be disappointed it didn’t happen for them but there’s some learning in there and I don’t want it to take away from the good performances we’ve had of late and the eight results unbeaten.
“Cup football, one team wins, one team loses, so our focus is the league and I feel like we can do something special this year.
“And I want the boys to take that feeling of them celebrating like they’ve won the FA Cup and use it in the right way to drive yourself forward.”
Report: Tonbridge 1-3 Chatham
Sablier’s deflected strike, after good work down the right by Brody Peart, gave Tonbridge a seventh-minute lead.
Eddie Simon twice went
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